Early service loss or failure indication in an unlicensed mobile access network

Abstract

An Unlicensed Mobile Access Network Controller (UNC) and method for providing an early indication of service failure to a mobile station registered with the UNC. When the UNC detects a network failure that prevents service to the mobile station, the UNC prohibits new registrations by other mobile stations, starts a timer, and monitors the network failure to determine if the failure clears. If the failure clears before the timer expires, new registrations are accepted from other mobile stations. However, if the timer expires before the failure clears, the UNC continues to prohibit new registrations from other mobile stations, and deregisters the mobile station when a network Keep Alive timer expires for the mobile station. When a plurality of mobile stations are registered with the UNC, the UNC deregisters the plurality of mobile stations one at a time as the network Keep Alive timer expires for each mobile station.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to radio telecommunication systems. In particular, and not by way of limitation, the invention is directed to a system and method for providing a mobile user with an early indication of service loss or service failure in an Unlicensed Mobile Access Network (UMAN).DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART[0002]In a traditional cellular system, such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), a malfunctioning interface from the Base Station Controller (BSC) towards the mobile core network, or malfunctioning internal resources in the BSC, are not signaled towards a mobile station (MS) until the MS attempts a layer 3 procedure such as attempting to make a call. Likewise, the prevention of service is not detected until the MS attempts a layer 3 procedure whenever a network node, for example the BSC or Mobile Switching Center (MSC), is working at a high load and therefore would reject an access attempt. The prevention of servi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]Thus in one aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of providing an early indication of service failure to a mobile station registered with an Unlicensed Mobile Access Network Controller (UNC). The method is performed within the UNC and comprises the steps of detecting a network failure that prevents service to the mobile station; determining whether the failure is a short term failure or a persistent failure; and upon determining that the failure is a persistent failure, deregistering the mobile station. The failure may be determined as a short term failure or a persistent failure by starting a timer when the network failure is detected, and determining that the failure is a short term failure if the failure is corrected before the timer expires. The method may also prohibit new registrations by other mobile stations during the time period after the failure is detected and before the failure is corrected.

[0006]In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of providing an early indication of service failure to a mobile station registered with a UNC. The method is performed within the UNC and comprises the steps of detecting a network failure that prevents service to the mobile station, and upon detecting the network failure, prohibiting new registrations by other mobile stations and starting a timer. The network failure is then monitored...

Problems solved by technology

The method may also prohibit new registrations by other mobile stations during the time period after the failure is detected and before the failure is corrected.

However, if the timer expires before the failure clears, the UNC continues to prohibit new registrations from other mobile stations, and deregisters the mobile station when a network Keep Alive timer expires for the mobile station.

After detecting the network failure, the UNC may prohibit new registrations from other mobile stations until the failure clears.

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